Sex and music-it's a winning combination and a very old recipe. Going back even further than our rich heritage of Marvin Gaye's greatest hits, those proper sounding madrigals suck as Bolero by Ravel aren't really as proper as you may think. Death lyrics often were euphemisms for sex.
Despite my choir nerd background, it never really occurred to me to think of classical music as potential erotic theme songs. It makes sense though-they usually last about 15 minutes and build to a climax, right? Bonus if you can score something with cymbals crashing at the end.
More popularly, we're looking at 20th century stuff, not that there's anything wrong with getting your Puccini on, if that's your thing. A friend of mine suggested Lauryn Hill to get your groove on. R&B in general seems to be a pretty popular choice-the music is pretty smooth, high on emotion and not without a good pulse to it. I'm not one to argue with that logic. My only caveat is to look out for lyrics.
You may be feeling the vibe with the music, but if the lyrics are saying something like "Yeah, once I did her, she was just a dirty ho," don't be surprised if your date disappears as soon as you press the "play" button.
If you're more like the hopeless romantic type, at least lyrically, then I suggest turning back to the classics. I'm talking about The Voice (Frank Sinatra) and Ella Fitzgerald. They lack the solid beat of their R&B offspring, but there's nothing like the classics to do it in style. Ah, the good ol' days. Just try not to think that it's quite possible you're making out to the same tunes your grandparents did. Ooh, creepy.
If you don't mind corny lines like "Take it off, baby, take it all off ... I want you the way you came into the world ... I don't want to see no panties ... Take off that brassiere, my dear," feel free to delve into the world of Barry White. Cheesy? Yes, but some people can make anything sound sexy.
I once went out with a guy who had decided that you couldn't go wrong with Blink-182, and he proceeded to charm me by playing "What's My Age Again" during our date. On infinite repeat.
Needless to say, the only desire it produced in me was the desire to get far, far away from him. But to be fair, many people find punk-ish music to be a bit of an aphrodisiac.
Punk's got a beat that's hard to ignore, and there seems to be a lot going on. My theory is that if you can work out to it at the gym, there's likely going to be a lot of crossover in the romance department. One thought though-your make-out music likely says a lot about your amorous personality, so what does it mean when your songs are 90 percent distortion and never last longer than two minutes? Hmm ...
Musical preference is a big part of most people's personalities, including their sexual styles. The bottom line? Listen to what you like, be it Dave Matthews, U2 or 'N Sync.
Music, like sex, should let you have a sense of personal connection. Heck, maybe you'd be singing along if your mouth weren't otherwise occupied. You and your partner may have "your song" to groove. You may want to avoid the songs you shared with your ex, as well as any mixed-tapes from previous relationships. Did anyone see that "Friends" episode?
Still not convinced? Try some Enigma, Madonna "Bedtime Stories", or Nine Inch Nails "Closer."
